Surround Sound Speakers

OK. We have an issue with lightning in this area. We've had two trees fried in the last year and now it got our DVD surround sound system (5.1). At first we thought it made it through OK, but although the picture is clear the volume has issues. The current volume choices are mute or full volume, nothing in between.

First, can I assume the problem is with the receiver rather than the speakers?
Since the speakers seem to be working I was wondering if anyone knows if there is any way to use them. In other words is there any sort of DVD player (maybe Blu-ray or even a game system that plays DVDs) that I can hook all these speakers up to rather than replacing the entire system. I hate to just toss the speakers.

Surround Sound Speakers

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Surround Sound Speakers

It was a box set. A Panasonic DVD home theater surround sound system (model SC-HT680). Maybe five years old.

I admit I don't know much, but I was just wondering if there was a single unit that would allow us to watch DVDs or Blu-ray using our current speakers. I understand I might be able to get a separate receiver, but really want a single unit due to space. We also have a Satellite Dish DVR hooked up to the TV and don't have room for a third unit.

Surround Sound Speakers

I don't know about combo units (I generally prefer separates so that when one piece goes you don't have to replace the whole thing).

It sounds like the receiver is probably bad, but the way to test is to swap the main and surround speakers. If you get the same problems, then it's the receiver -- if the problems reverse then it's the speakers.

Generally, surround speakers are just speakers, but some are special purpose. If they look like regular speakers then they probably are, and you can use them for anything you'd use other speakers for -- or sell them on eBay -- or give them to Goodwill.

Sometimes TV's have places to plug in external speakers. You might find that these speakers sound better than the speakers built into the TV. Or not. Pretty much impossible to guess without knowing more about what you have, and even then it's probably a guess unless someone else actually has the same thing.